Archives for March 2017

During Lent 2017 the Old St Pat’s community publishes and proclaims: “Repent, Repair, Renew!” Repent what? Repair what? Renew what? The March 23 North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) Quarterly Meeting gave me a real opportunity tolive out those three proclamations during and beyond Lent. As a rose gardener and a member of the NLCCC Parks and Open Spaces Subcommittee, this event gave me a place at a table; a place that leads me home.

The meeting convened at the Sinai Community Institute on Ogden Avenue, a short ride west from OSP. There gathered approximately 80 members of Old St. Pat’s along with North Lawndale residents who were professional leaders in areas of education, health care, community organizing, social policy, the arts, agriculture, entrepreneurship, and more, all proud citizens of their community.

We shared ideas, information and refreshments and there was much progress.During the reporting phase of the meeting, we heard about leadership training opportunities, work development programs, upcoming music and art festivals, City of Chicago water mitigation projects, first time home buyers assistance, public transportation access issues, a cycling event sponsored by the alderman event, developments in Washington DC that directly affect residents of North Lawndale, and so much more. The NLCCC effectively gathers people together to relate to one another, and it brings these and many other social issues into focus so our communities can take action on them (together).

The meeting caused me to reflect on the concept of repentance. To repent means to change one’s wrong mind to make it right. How can we change our minds about people living with desperation and let the light of Easter show us the passion of our neighbors in North Lawndale. Can we help repair crumbling, flooding streets by contributing to water mitigation projects the residents hope will improve their community? Will we renew our solidarity with our North Lawndale neighbors as they prepare to celebrate the 150 Year Anniversary of North Lawndale in 2018 – the same community that was once home to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Golda Meir?

To love God is getting to know God. Similarly, to love our neighbor is getting to know them and journeying along side them.During Lent 2017, I relish experiencing the light of Christ in our call to Repent, Repair, Renew our relationships with those in our communities.I urge you to learn more about our North Lawndale neighbors and the work of the Kinship Initiative by visiting one of the following two websites.

www.nlcccplanning.org/join-nlccc/

www.KinshipMovement.org

Let us continue getting to know and work with our imagining, thriving, caring North Lawndale neighbors. So many members of Old St. Pat’s and I am glad that we did.

In John’s Gospel last week Jesus tells a parable of blindness and sight. For some it is a simple re-telling of the miracle of sight given by Jesus to a person blind from birth. And it is.

And yet, as one follows the arch of this story, less focused on…Jesus, than this blind man once pitied, a thought stirs in the depths of my heart, that the person with the clearest spiritual vision will recognize dimensions of trust that are invisible to our physical senses.

It is not always easy to be led spiritually because it takes some humility and dependence on God. As many of you know my two-and-half-year-old nephew Benedict was born with 13-Q deletion syndrome at birth and over the past years has also endured a cancer journey in which he lost eyesight in one of his eyes. My sister Sarah and her husband Clint are wonderful and devoted parents to our sweet Ben. We as a family are only beginning to understand Ben’s journey of special needs. Often we are overcome with worry and the challenges to secure the resources needed for Ben on his health journey. Humility and dependence on God are constant lessens of our faith as a family. As I read the Gospel today, I can’t help but think about the many disabled children I have met on Ben’s hospital stays. Like the blind man from our Gospel today, somewhere between the overwhelming need of the disabled and… the self-protective hearts of the able-bodied, desperate, poor and broken people fade from sight.

The blind man in todays Gospel was so defined by – viewed through – his disability that his neighbors who’d seen him beg every day did not recognize him. This blind man was… invisible. There is something very powerful about the simple phrase, “I see you”. Jesus saw this invisible, blind man. So fixed were the eyes of Jesus on this man that the disciples were stirred to look a little closer. Imagine this man’s experience every day since birth; being led by the hand everywhere and be seen as a drain on society.

And then, perhaps worst of all, to sit with his other senses attuned to how others saw him; a man at best worthy of pity, at worst deserving of the darkness. Notice that John wastes no words in describing this miracle. He puts it as briefly as possible: “He went and washed and came back seeing.” Obviously he is not calling attention to this physical miracle; there is something deeper here. When you notice that John points out the meaning of the name of this pool to which Jesus sent this man (he says it means “Sent”), he obviously is indicating that these strange actions of Jesus – spitting on the ground, making clay, anointing the eyes with the clay, and then sending the man to the pool to wash – is a symbolic action that is teaching something deeper than the mere opening of a man’s eyes. We must understand it in that light if we want to get at the deeper meaning of this miracle. This is clearly a parable in action. Jesus is not merely interested in restoring this man’s physical sight. There is a deeper insight involved, and it is brought out by the symbols he employs. Jesus is trying to restore spiritual sight.

Like the disciples, I struggle to see my nephew’s blindness through the lens of Jesus. “This happened so that…the works of God might be made visible through him.” Jesus is not saying that the blind will see light; no, Jesus is saying this mere human being will be the light! In a single sentence, the reader anticipates the mind-blowing good news not only that Jesus notices the blind man, not only will he heal him to see light, not only will he no longer be invisible but… he will be a light for others to see!

The process of healing our spiritual sight will involve a prolonged and difficult journey that will be filled with obstacles. It is only when we get into the pool of trust in God’s plan that our inner sight will be granted.

What I have witnessed through my nephew Ben’s journey is the pulsing wind of the Spirit stirring the embers of healing, and to see others join us as our gospel-witnessing flame. God is calling us, to trust, to step out in blind faith that he might heal our lives through encounter with our sweet Benedict. It is the nature of God’s amazing grace that restoration comes with much we don’t know or understand. The love of Christ sends us, because we have been the recipient of a love that has transformed how we see Christ, and how we see the world through Ben’s life.

If anyone ever asked me, “What is one thing you’re really proud of in your life?” I know one of the responses I would definitely give is “running and finishing my first marathon!” I am only an average runner and since my days in the seminary I never really ran more than three or four miles. It was back in 2006 when I was standing in the vestibule of Old St. Pat’s that one of our members, Brendan Cournane, came up to me and invited me to consider running the Chicago Marathon. After some significant hesitation, I showed up on the lakefront path and began running with the group, training for my first marathon. When the day of the marathon finally arrived in October of 2006, I was extremely nervous and totally second guessing why I ever said yes to running a marathon. After the starter’s horn blew, thousands of people began the race and off we went. While the first half of the race went well, after I passed Old St. Pat’s and found myself out west near the United Center, I started running out of gas. My mind started playing tricks on me and began cursing internally, “Why did you ever do this? This was the dumbest idea I’ve ever come up with in my life!” And for the next couple of miles the only thing going through my head, “I think I’m going to stop and give up!” It was torturous. Should I stop or shouldn’t I? Somewhere around the Pilsen neighborhood, when the sign said “Mile 20,” my mood began to change and somehow I found some internal strength and a better attitude to keep going and the feet kicked into gear again. There was no better vision than rounding the corner at Roosevelt and Columbus Drive and seeing a big fat sign that read: FINISH! I made it! But to be honest, I didn’t think it was possible.

I couldn’t help but think about that experience of running my first marathon when I came across the first reading from Exodus this past Thursday for daily mass. It’s the more recognizable portion of the text when God instructs Moses to go back down the mountain because the people whom he had brought out of Egypt were beginning to make the molten calf and worshiping it! The people were starting to give up and they were irritated with God and Moses for leading them out of Egypt to this desolate place. It’s never ever any fun when we start giving up and, likewise, giving in! As we know, Moses has to serve as the mediator between God and the people and thankfully, by the end of the story, cooler heads prevail!

It’s interesting why the lectionary would have this reading when we are almost five weeks into the Lenten season. I’m guessing it might have something to do with Lent being a long journey and like many of us, we feel like throwing in the towel and giving up. All those things we talked about back on Ash Wednesday: fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. Sacrificing what we most enjoy and forgoing some of our greatest pleasures can get tougher the farther we go into Lent. Let’s face it, whether it’s Lent or some other commitment in our lives, we have all been down the dark and unfortunate road of wanting to give up and call it quits. It’s absolutely no fun starting a race that half way through it, you feel you cannot finish. It’s no fun starting a project and after looking at the scope of what needs to be accomplished, we start questioning whether we have the resources and stamina to bring it to fruition. It’s no fun trying to hit deadlines when we are so far behind, especially with term papers, tax returns, and church bulletin articles!

Like Moses who served as the reconciler, this time of Lent encourages us to be attentive to the internal voice of the Spirit who’s saying to us, “Just a little bit further and you’ll be at Easter. Hold on. Don’t give up. Pace yourself. Believe in yourself. You got this. Think good thoughts. Peace over violence.”

This week ahead, join us for a Lent Reconciliation service this Wednesday April 5 at 7 pm. It’s a great way to clear our hearts and heads. And then Friday April 7 is our Fish Fry in Hughes Hall. I hope to see you!

the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, I recall a few moments when one of the faculty members would get on my case for various things, all part of the process of formation. This particular faculty member (a priest of Chicago) has become one of my mentors and he was instrumental to me in those important years of discernment and preparation. One tense moment, in particular, happened when our floor was gathered for our weekly meeting and prayer. Near the end of the meeting, after a long conversation amongst the members of our floor, I recall asking a question related to the topic which, unbeknownst to me, had already been resolved. I clearly had been daydreaming and obviously focused on something other than what was being discussed. This did not settle well with the dorm priest and to his dismay, he shouted across the room, “Hurley, you don’t listen!”

That night, it was true. I hadn’t listened.

It wasn’t the first time and certainly not the last time I was “called out” for not listening. There have been plenty of times in my own home when my mom has chastised me with almost the same the sentiment as the Father Dorm Director. She has often said, “Tom, you hear but you don’t listen!”

I was reminded of this important practice this past week when I contemplated the scripture reading from Jeremiah 7:23-28, “Thus says the Lord: This is what I commanded my people: Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people!” Psalm 95 for the same day captured a similar theme, “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.”

It seems to me that one of the important reminders offered to us in Lent is the act of Listening. I found that to be especially true this past Tuesday night into Wednesday with our Solidarity Fast. Not only did I keep listening to my growling stomach and throbbing head wanting food, but a more dramatic form of fasting like what many of us did together in solidarity, really does cause us to listen more attentively to other things happening inside of us. It was a great experience and I hope the Solidarity Fast was as special for you as I found it to be for myself. Instead of being focused of food, I found myself listening more attentively in the hopes that I wouldn’t’ be so focused on a growling stomach. As I was listening to the news, I became more aware of the plight of so many people especially in some of the African nations where people are starving in unbelievable numbers. On the day of the Fast, I heard more clearly the number of 20 million people who possibly could starve to death if nothing is done soon.

I don’t recall ever doing a 24 hour Fast before. Being in a world where food and other pleasures are readily available and literally at our fingertips, I found this experience was a powerful moment of Listening. In order not to be driven crazy by my craving for something good and delicious, I found myself my focused and more attentive on other things, and things that matter. Try this ancient spiritual practice some time, if you’ve never done it. You might be amazed at how such an act of Fasting might startle you to being concerned about other things in life.

I think my mom was right, I hear but I don’t always listen. May the spirit of God help me to listen to what’s most important and what’s Holy, instead of all the other noise that is readily available at any time of the day. Let’s continue to use these Lenten days wisely and effectively in the listening to the voice of God.

The Junior/Senior retreat was truly an eye-opening experience. Not only was I able to build upon my friendships with other Foundations members, but I also gained an entirely new perspective on the issue of hunger. The retreat’s theme was “Hunger for Justice” and throughout the weekend we continually discussed the global hunger crisis. Prior to this retreat I knew that hunger was an issue, but I never realized just how many people around the world are unsure of when their next meal will be.

During the retreat, we also engaged in an 18-hour food fast to express solidarity for those experiencing hunger. During this time we talked about many global injustices and ways in which we can make a difference. We learned about issues regarding education, immigration, and of course food. However, what will resonate the most with me is all of the information I learned regarding hunger. It was especially alarming to learn about the amount of food we waste; each American wastes about 20 pounds of food a month. Since returning from retreat I have made an effort to reduce my food waste and only take the food that I will eat. I have learned that there are way too many people struggling to have enough food and that I should not waste what I am fortunate enough to have.

Additionally during the retreat, we were able to hear stories and learn about ways to make an impact through service. Courtney and Jennie, two of our Foundations leaders, shared their stories from dedicating 2 years of service after college. After hearing their inspiring stories, I now hope to one day dedicate my time to making an impact in either American or international communities.

I am so grateful that I was able to go on this retreat – I got closer to so many of my Foundations friends and learned a lot about global injustices and ways to live out the Catholic Social Teachings.

Meg Quinn is a junior at York High School and an active participant in Foundations Youth Ministry.

I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.

-Exodus 17:6

A small droplet of water hits the window,

then slowly makes its way in stutters and streaks

down the glass in front of me.

A small droplet.

Then another, and another, and the rain comes down, down,

down the glass in front of me.

The wind builds, the shhhhhhhhh noise begins

as sheets of rain come to cover the clover and crabgrass in the backyard.

The flow of water from sky and cloud and atmosphere to here –

to this window, to this grass, to the very ground beneath me.

The flow of water, the flow of life, the flow of hydrogen oxygen bonds so close

they tumble together and seep down, slinking and sneaking into the soil.

Water in the cracks and crevices of rocks,

Water in the dirt and dust and sand,

Water seeking and searching for the broken places,

because that is where water will fill in;

that is where Water will fill up;

that is where Water will repent, repair, and renew.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

-Romans 5:5

Truth in the cracks and crevices of deception

Courage in the face of racism, sexism, classism, hate,

Mercy seeking and searching for the broken places,

because that is where Truth will fill in;

that is where Courage will fill up;

that is where Mercy will repent, repair, and renew.

And the deepest place for this race of rain to end,

the eventual destination in the dark for these droplets,

awaiting in an aquifer,

is the water table,

the porous rock,

and the zone of saturation.

A table of water: think about it.

A table of water imagined beneath the surface of the earth,

flowing in slow motion in those broken, cracked, jagged places.

A table shared by all, made by all, where all are welcome.

A table of water, of life, just beneath the surface.

A zone that is saturated: feel it.

A zone where ground water has filled in, filled up,

made every part of it drenched, covered, soaking in those hydrogen-oxygen bonds so close;

Close like God with us, within us, in these deep wells.

A zone of all-encompassing embracing presence.

A zone of saturation, of satisfaction.

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

-John 4:13-14

Every part of us drenched, covered, soaked, in the Spirit –

poured into our hearts, gushing from rocks, hidden in wells,

always flowing, always flowing, all ways flowing together

in a cycle that circles around inner rooms and atmospheres and lands far and near.

If you were one of the 2,500 who attended our Siamsa Na nGael concert this past Tuesday night at Chicago’s Symphony Center, I’m wondering if you’re still feeling as moved as I am? I’ve been around Old St. Pat’s full-time for the past 14 years (and 6 years prior to that as a weekend presider) and of the many Siamsa concerts I’ve attended, none of them impacted me as much as this one. For those who could not join us, I am so sorry you missed it. Titled A Bridge Over The Troubles: The Peacemakers, our concert this year focused on the peace process and the great work of John and Pat Hume, along with Senator George Mitchell who were able to bring both sides together to sign the Good Friday Peace Accord of 1998 in Northern Ireland. Written and created by our own Concert Director Bill Fraher and Irish Historian Mary Pat Kelly, the flow of music and dance, from rap to traditional Irish ballads, kept everyone in Symphony Center focused on this incredible moment in history. While the music was wonderful, no other concert captured me more than the presence and spoken testimony of Senator Mitchell. What an incredible man. To hear him tell the story of his experience of the day his son was born in the United States and then recalling with his wife the fact that 61 other babies were born the same day in Northern Ireland and what kind of future would they have in the face of ongoing violence and bloodshed brought a tear to many eyes this past Tuesday night. This year’s Siamsa was so poignant to the reality of our world today: we need to heal divisions, we need to celebrate diversity, peace and nonviolence are the only acceptable paths. While I am not in the canonization business, what I heard and witnessed the other day by Senator Mitchell gave me renewed hope in the effectiveness of great leaders who lead with their heart. Old St. Patrick’s Siamsa Na nGael 2017 was more than just an entertaining night of delightful music. It was a powerful message about the need to end violence in our world, to build bridges that bring people together, and to work tirelessly towards a peaceful resolution.

Thank you again, Bill Fraher, Mary Pat Kelly, Sheila Greifhahn, Susie Klein, Jo Ann O’Brien, Lauren Kezon, Lauren McCallick, Bea Cunningham, Katie Brandt, the great voices of our Old St. Patrick’s Concert Choir, our young friends at After School Matters, and the many instrumentalists, orchestra members, and dancers who filled Symphony Center with great hope the other night. And thanks especially to all of you for supporting the efforts and programs that help us form the Mission of Old St. Pat’s.

If you’re not into concerts, maybe you’re into running and/or walking! If so, could I indulge your attention in this brief article for another invitation to consider joining our Crossroads Runners? The snow will be melting soon and nicer weather is just around the corner. That means it’s time to get outside again and enjoy this great city we call Chicago. Several years ago, we formed the Crossroads Runners as another avenue to build some community among our many members and to help raise some necessary funds for our many social outreach efforts here on the campus of Old St. Pat’s. I was talking with someone the other day who told me he runs about 9 miles each week and that he could never do a marathon. I told him he was wrong and if he was running a total of 9 miles per week, you can do a marathon. Most of us will say, “I can never do it!” I remember saying that to myself back in the spring of 2006 and after some prodding and invitations by our Coach Brendan Cournane, and a summer of training which I thoroughly enjoyed, the next thing I knew I was crossing the finish line of the Chicago Marathon. I encourage those of you who enjoy running (and yes, even walking) to think about joining our Old St. Pat’s team. It’s a great feeling to be a part of a team and a wonderful opportunity to meet some new people.

The final invitation for today is related to HOLY THURSDAY. For many years, Old St. Pat’s hosted a combined mass and dinner to celebrate Holy Thursday. A few years ago, we changed the format and we are now hosting a dinner in the school gym BEFORE the mass in the church on Holy Thursday. It’s always a sell-out so I hope you’ll plan on joining us. I think the Holy Thursday liturgy is one of our most extraordinary gatherings of the entire year!

A lot happening around Old St. Pat’s these days. I am grateful to share this journey of faith with all of you.

The OSPNext Faith in Action Committee hosts monthly Social Justice Small Group discussions to give OSP members and friends the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of various social justice issues. These monthly small group discussions provide a space to dialogue and learn about the months’ selected social justice topic, connect the topic to Catholic Social Teaching, and share ways those people can get involved with an organization working to end the social injustice. The monthly topics are chosen based on current issues that have been in the news and the group’s interest. We have looked at education inequalities and funding issues in Illinois, re-entry from prison and the barriers to getting housing and employment for folks with records, racism and white privilege, and others. We are now planning a meeting to discuss immigration and how we can welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters to our faith community and keep them safe in our city. To prepare for each month’s discussion, an article or resource is sent out in advance of the monthly meetings.

Given these topics are complicated and interconnected, we can’t talk about every aspect of them during our monthly conversation. However, the article or resource allows the group to focus on a particular piece of the social justice issue being discussed, provide background for those who might not be as familiar, and tell the human impact of a particular type of oppression or pain. Each month different participants share their personal experience and knowledge on the topic allowing others to learn from what their peers know. It has been an eye-opening experience to learn from each other, build knowledge and empathy for people in different walks of life, and work towards greater awareness and action to live lives of justice, peace, and connection. While these small groups are facilitated by OSPNext members, we always welcome anyone who is interested in joining us next month.

If you are interested in learning more or being put on the email list for the next

Today’s Gospel proposes the event of Jesus’ transfiguration. I see the journey of what is to happen in Jerusalem, Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, as an exodus story for us through Jesus, a new Moses. In following Jesus on this Lenten journey, we are not making a meaningless pledge but a vow to live a life in constant solidarity with a radically inclusive Gospel.

Peter, James, and John climbed a mountain with Jesus and sat with him on the mountaintop. This was already a privilege for them because Jesus had chosen them to be present in his inner circle. They were already excited and they were in anticipation of what was to come. Then it happened. Jesus was transfigured; metamorphosed into something glorious. Then Moses and Elijah stood with Jesus and were discussing something with him. We don’t know exactly how long it was, but we might assume that it was only a few minutes and then it was over, back to reality. It was in the past, but Peter wanted to stay there where it was safe, it was beautiful, it was perfect. We cannot dwell in the past no matter how perfect and beautiful the moment. That doesn’t seem like good news. It can be disappointing to be forced to encounter the cross when you have encountered a mountaintop moment. Jesus tried to teach this to the disciples as they were coming down the mountain. We must not dwell on the past, but rather be mindful of the present and hopeful for future.

The path up the mountain proceeded with prayer and encounter. On that Mountain, Jesus revealed to his disciples the transcendent truth of who He is – and who Peter, James and John – and each one of us – will become in Jesus. Jesus knew God’s plan, and we can only imagine what was going through Jesus’ mind. We want to believe that Jesus came down and followed the pathway of God without pause or question. But if we believe that Jesus was fully man as well as fully divine then we must believe that Jesus had a choice and a difficult choice at that. But the love that Jesus had for us all trumped the difficulty of the path of God that went through Calvary.

What is the most provocative fact about the Gospel for me is that before Jesus was forced to make the decision to pick up his cross, his Father reminded him that he was the beloved. If we don’t believe that we are loved by God, all our life takes a drastic turn. The loss of experiencing the embrace of God’s love puts such restrictions upon the possibilities of every person to reach beyond oneself, beyond the temporal. It is with God that we live no longer in isolation, but as part of a family whose members have gone before us (the prophets), who live among us (the disciples), and who will follow after us (future believers). Knowing we are loved allows each of us to be transformed. God so loved the world that he sent his son and the son so loved the world that he chose the cross. We have to tell the people we meet along the path that Jesus loved us so much that he chose the path that led to Love.

The Transfiguration put Jesus on a new path. Moses and Elijah were encouraging Jesus to follow the plan that God had made for him. As he came down from that mountain renewed in love he was more resolute and determined than ever to follow the cross. He entered into Jerusalem with confidence, even though he knew what was to come. We do not have to be afraid on our own paths because Jesus has walked them before us and Jesus is there with us every step of the way.

We are all called to be transformed, as there is nothing more life-giving than losing ourselves to unconditional love, because God is that love. God desires us to offer daily our life of unconditional love as a sacrifice in the work against the lies of injustice, violence, and selfishness that attempt to trap those who live on the fringes of love. Especially today, we are called to offer our lives of unconditional love as a sacrifice to those whose exodus for life may involve traveling up a mountain of hard choices. Ultimately what matters is living a life of unconditional love such that God is reflected through it. We are called to change the world the way Jesus was teaching the disciples; with love, one person and one mountaintop at a time.

At the forefront of our Pastoral Care Ministry for Old St. Patrick’s is the gift of Bernadette Gibson. Having been on our team for the past several years, Bern has taken our pastoral care outreach to a whole new level. Surrounded by a team of members every first Tuesday of the month (and this has been happening for a long time now), this incredible group of Old St. Pat’s faithful gather to sign cards and pray for the hundreds of people who are sick or struggling and have requested our spiritual help. They are a wonderfully dedicated group of men and women, under the leadership of Bernadette, who have made a deep and abiding commitment to be in solidarity with those are finding life challenging. Besides this special prayer ministry, the amount of hospital visits, home visits, phone calls, and funerals that Bernadette coordinates and plans are far too numerous to mention. This past Wednesday is one more example you should know about.

Several days ago, Bernadette received a call from a local funeral home asking if Old St. Pat’s could handle a funeral for an elderly woman who died alone. The woman used to attend daily mass at another local church but unfortunately the funeral director was informed that this particular parish was not able to do the funeral. So, could we do it? The unique, and sad, part of this story is that the woman had no known family or friends. She was appointed a guardian from the Public Guardian’s office who was taking care of her final arrangements. Having lived in a nursing home on the north side of the city, the woman’s last wish was that she be given a Catholic funeral mass and be buried at St. Adalbert’s Cemetery in Niles. We were informed that the only people who to be in attendance at her funeral would be the public guardian and the funeral director.

On Wednesday of this past week, we celebrated the life of Evelene Wojdak. She was 92 years old and to our knowledge had never been married and there were no known relatives. In my 23 years of being a priest, I don’t recall ever having a funeral with basically no one in attendance. To say the whole situation was sad is an understatement.

Thankfully, however, the good people of Old St. Pat’s responded. We appealed to our staff, to our friends at Frances Xavier Warde School, and David Philippart our liturgy director sent out an email to our liturgical ministers for folks to attend Evelene’s funeral mass. In the middle of the week, in the middle of the work day, about 70 generous souls from Old St. Pat’s made their way to this church to honor and reverence the life of a woman none of us had ever met before. Complete with beautiful music, flowers (donated by Ellen Ryan), and a noble ritual, we prayed that Evelene, who spent her final days on her own in this world, would be spoiled rotten with the host of angels and saints offering her a hearty welcome and nonstop companionship in the Halls of Heaven! May it be so!

The Grace of the moment continues. Again, thanks to the investigative work of Chuck Brown (member of OSP), he was able to find more information about Evelene which helped us know a little more about this child of God. She was the daughter of Angeline and Frank Wojdak and the youngest sister to Edwin, Hank, and Helen. Just before the funeral mass for Evelene began, into Old St. Patrick’s walked a niece of Evelene who heard about her aunt’s passing only two hours prior! Because of a family squabble, she had not seen her aunt since 1974!

My point in sharing this with you to simply say “thanks” to the great people of Old St. Pat’s who were able to carve out time from your busy lives to honor Evelene Wojdak. Pray for her, please. May she be at Peace and may she be surrounded by family and friends.

Finally, HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY! Thanks to all who are coming to this extraordinary shrine of Patrick to celebrate our patron today and throughout the week. We are honored you are here! And thanks to all the great people of Old St. Pat’s for your continued generosity in helping us maintain and preserve this incredible sanctuary built by immigrant people over a century and a half ago!

Over President’s Day Weekend, seventeen 8th graders in our BluePrints program and six juniors in Foundations traveled to Ingleside, IL for an overnight retreat. Our focus for the weekend was “What’s Your Foundation?” We spent the weekend reflecting on how our Family, Friends, FARTS (fun, athletics, recreation, theater, and service), and Faith shape us and how we can fall back on them throughout our lives. The juniors had the opportunity to be leaders on the BluePrints Retreat and share with the 8th graders their own experiences. Below you will find reflections about the retreat from the junior leaders.

My favorite part of the retreat was our prayer and reflection on Saturday night. After playing in the gym for free time, we all walked over to what became our common room for the weekend. When we walked in the room, it was completely dark except for two candles sitting on a center table. One of the leaders explained the importance of acknowledging those who have guided us throughout our life and have played an important role in our foundation, so we all were given the chance to light a candle in honor of someone important in our life. Each time a new person went to light their candle and share about someone who has impacted them, the room got brighter. By the time I lit my candle I was brought to tears. It was truly an amazing experience to see how so many people have affected each of our lives.

– Ashley Brady

As a leader on the BluePrints retreat I loved getting to know the 8th graders and realizing I am in a similar place as they are. We talked about how they are a little nervous about their tests to get into high schools they want and I am too but for college. The weekend was a nice break from that type of stress and a great opportunity to reconnect with our inner selves and God.

– Olwen Heady

I really enjoyed being a leader because it was so interesting to see the 8th graders grow in such a small amount of time. They all started to connect with each other and God. What they had to say about their faith was very surprising to me, because when I was in 8th grade I had no clue what my faith was.

– Abbey Higgins

I went on BluePrints retreat when I was an 8th grader, so to go back and lead it as a Junior was an amazing experience. I kn ew where the 8th graders were and how they felt as they transition into this next phase of life. I think they got a lot out of it, learning about their foundation and God and getting a better sense of the community that OSP offers to us teens.

– Lucy Mulvihill

Being able to lead the BluePrints 8th graders on their first retreat was the perfect experience to see the future of our youth ministry and what can come of it. I’m happy to have met such a wonderful group of kids, to be someone they can talk to comfortably, and for them to know an upperclassman in their first year with Foundations.

– Maddie Sheppard

On this retreat, I had the privilege of watching the 8th graders open up and we all also got closer together. This was achieved through small talk, silly games, and of course the never ending debate of whether Jimmy John’s is a fast food restaurant or not. At the retreat, we also got closer to God. I saw this most small groups, when everyone would start to open up following the leaders example, and we learned about God through each other. It was truly a transcendent experience.

The hurtling of our planet through space on its annual pilgrimage around our star, the sun; the stately dancing of the moon around the earth, each phase a graceful step; the sweep of human history, its spectacular joys and sorrows—all three conspire together to bring us to this hour. Again it is Lent. And soon it will be that day that crowns all our days, Easter. There is much to do. Let’s lean into this Lent!

Sunday eucharist, Wednesday evening prayer at 7, daily Mass, confession—liturgy is our first work this Lent. During Lent, we’re singing the “Lord, have mercy” in its original Greek: Kyrie, eleison. Balthasar Fischer (1912-2001) wrote: “This petition means more than ‘Help us!’ It means ‘Take all of us with you on your journey through death to life.’ ” Our penitential act also includes a prayer dialog. “Have mercy on us, O Lord,” the priest begins. “For we have sinned against you,” we say. Then the priest begs God, “Show us your mercy and love!” Meanwhile, one of us holds our beautiful large processional cross for all to see. This lovely image stands tall near the altar year round. But in Lent we lovingly carry it through our midst to begin, and hold it for all to gaze on. For here is how God shows us mercy and love. In mercy, God shares our suffering and dying. In love, God raises us up through death to new life.

The liturgy strengthens us to take up three fundamental spiritual practices: praying, fasting, and giving alms, our second work. They are sacred ways to repent, repair, and renew both spirit and world. At Wednesday evening prayer, great preachers will explore this work from the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim perspectives. In the fifth century, Peter Chrysologus observed “Fasting is the soul of prayer, giving alms is the lifeblood of fasting. If we have not all three, we have nothing.”

And praying, fasting and giving strengthens us to take up the ultimate work of Lent: dying to self and rising to a life for others. As with Noah, as with Daniel in the lion’s den, as with Israel from Egypt, God is about to snatch life out of death. At the Easter Vigil, ten adults will be baptized, confirmed, and welcomed to communion. So lean into Lent and pray:

Again and again you draw us back, O God,

and in this fast of forty days and forty nights

return with us to face the dangers of deluge and delusion

in floods of brokenness and dying.

Once more we find ourselves cast into dens of peril

where injustice and inequity are more hazardous than tooth or claw.

The precious blood of our children senselessly staining our streets

cries out to us to leave at once this slave-state

of consumerism, cynicism, and racism

that would deceive us into thinking there is nothing we can do.

Once more gather us together in transit through these terrors!

Alone in this fearful desert each one would die.

But together, as Old Saint Patrick’s Church,

you enclose us in your cloak of cloud against all dangers of the day

and lead us boldly, brilliantly through each disorienting night.

We trust that once more you are bringing us safely

to that other side, Easter, rising.

United to those you have chosen for Easter’s sacraments,

with and for

Michael, Katherine, Zach, Mike and Kathryn,

Shea, Christine and Phillip,

Christopher, Stephanie and Tamika

we take up with greater care the age-old ways

of praying, fasting, and sharing with the poor. Stir up within us such desire for you that we repent,

In case you ever wondered what 7 a.m. mass is like during the weekdays, it’s very simple. Most days, there is a small (perhaps 20 people or so) but faithful group of men and women who start their day at Old St. Pat’s celebrating the Eucharist. I’m grateful for this band of disciples and for their fidelity to their daily prayer for themselves, their families, the world, and for all of us. This past Wednesday, being Ash Wednesday, brought a huge amount of people who came early for the 7 a.m. mass to receive their ashes and to inaugurate Lent, 2017. Thank you to all who started this sacred season with us by coming to Old St. Pat’s all throughout the day and to all of our generous members who stayed in church for many hours on Wednesday sharing the mark of ashes with all who entered. I thought Ash Wednesday was a great beginning to what I hope will be a renewing and inspiring season for everyone.

The very next day, Thursday however brought a lot of the same. Though we anticipated more people to join us, unfortunately we were back to the same 20 people who attend almost each day. One of the “regulars” came up to me after the mass on Thursday and made the statement I expected to hear from him, “Where is everyone? We had such a great mass yesterday with so many people and besides, it’s Lent!” he said in frustration.

I understood his disappointment. I too thought more folks would join us, as our numbers usually increase during the special season of Lent. Perhaps this week will bring some more.

I’m not writing this to lament or to whine. That’s not an effective approach. But I am writing to all of you by way of continued invitation. One angle I took on Ash Wednesday in the homily was suggesting that Lent is God’s time to interrupt us. Mindful that we get comfortable in our routines and we become victim to complacency and sameness, I think Lent is God’s way of shaking things up a bit and challenging us to live and do things a little differently in order to grow and mature as disciples and people of faith. Through the church’s rituals, our clean foreheads were “interrupted” and violated by a smudge of ashes this past Wednesday, the mark of saying “Yes, I’m IN” for the challenge of Lent.

Chances are you’re reading this column in the hard copy because you’re here today at Old St. Pat’s, for which I (and especially the Risen Lord) am always happy and grateful. We are not church without you. As we head deeper into Lent and likewise into March and April, could I ask you to do two things? First, if your schedule allows, would you please consider joining us for some of the upcoming events happening under the sponsorship of Old St. Pat’s and under the banner of doing things differently for yourselves this Lent? Next weekend we celebrate not only our patron St. Patrick, but also the gift of our ancestors in faith who created this church community many years ago. If you’ve never been to the liturgies on Saturday or Sunday celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, do so. They are festive and joyful. If you’ve never been to the Siamsa Na nGael concert at Symphony Center, the tickets are reasonable and you’ll enjoy a wonderful night of story, song, and dance inspired by the Celts.

Likewise, make your Lent different and meaningful. Interrupt your normal routines. Mark your calendars and make arrangements to attend some (or ALL!) of the Wednesday night prayer services and speakers, starting this Wednesday March 8 with timone davis, an inspiring woman of faith (*timone uses lower case letters in spelling her name to indicate her decrease as God increases within her.

Look through this publication for a very significant moment to Fast on March 21 into March 22 (we will have more information and resources on that for you next week), the Seven Last Words of Christ on March 24, the chance to be forgiven and healed on April 5 with our Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the Fish Fry on April 7. I don’t mean to be repetitive with other announcements captured in this Crossroads Bulletin ,but I do believe, from a pastor’s perspective, that I’m called to be a cheerleader for all of us.

The second request I would make is be an “inviter”. You’re here today creating the experience of church. Could I encourage you to ask someone to join you and let’s keep building up the life and vitality of the church, especially during Lent.

Finally, a big word of Thanks to you. I am a grateful priest to have this tremendous honor of being the pastor of Old St. Patrick’s. I don’t take this job lightly. I am passionate and deeply committed to YOU! My hope, prayer, and responsibility to help us all grow as disciples in this world. Thank you for allowing me to have this privilege and task here at Old St. Pat’s. A blessed and renewing Lent for all of us.

As we prepare to embark on the journey of Lent – each of us is invited to carve out these next 40 days (ok, at least in Catholic liturgical time it is 40 days) to go to the desert. The desert is a strong image in our scripture and it is, I think, and appropriate image for this season. Every year before Lent, I turn to a poetic text about Lent that comes from my colleague and friend, Bob Kolatorowicz. In the piece entitled, “The Lenten Desert,” he writes:

We, too, need the desert.

And so each year,

at Lent,

Christian people create a desert.

• • •

In the geography of spirit

the desert is a place for keen focus

and hard discernment.

Who is God?

Who am I?

Who is my neighbor?

How shall we live together?

Lent is about reminding us who we are and whose we are. Because, frankly, I find that I often get lost in all the other ‘stuff.’ How well did I perform on that last project? Did my friends get offended that I didn’t attend that last gathering? Should I have made the time to be at that networking event? I really need to start planning ahead when it comes to my finances…

The tools of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are meant to serve us on our Lenten journeys to remember or perhaps discover in new ways our own sacred identities. This year, the Old St. Pat’s Lenten experience also invites us to Repent, Repair, Renew. What actions or attitudes in our lives call for repentance? What in our relationships or our communities is in need of repairing? What in our world or in our souls is in need of renewal?

Another gift offered to the members of the church during the Lenten Season is the gift of new life in the form of those who have been called to initiation in the Catholic Church. These men and women have chosen to work through the struggles, the questions, the skepticism, and the frustrations of a mysterious journey with openness to the urging and prodding of the Holy Spirit. They have engaged in conversations that hold up their experiences, the wisdom of the tradition, and the questions of our time – all in the hope of coming to know God and know themselves more deeply.

This Lent, twenty-seven of these men and women candidates and catechumens will be a mirror for us at Old St. Pat’s, reminding us of who we are as well: pilgrims on a journey. The time, prayerfulness, energy, and effort they have put into their learning and discernment are an inspiration to the rest of us to similarly engage and reengage in the life of the Spirit, in the context of community. Our RCIA community will stand before Cardinal Cupich this Sunday, revealing their desire to enter into the Catholic Community of faith. And the Cardinal Archbishop, on behalf of the universal church, will elect them to the Sacraments of Initiation and invite them into a final period of preparation and prayer. For them, and for us, Lent is the invitation to carve out time for the desert.

The long tradition of Christian wisdom tells us

that in the desert,

if we pay attention to the essentials,

we can learn to live.

Loving God, help each of us to use this Lent to learn to live; to use the tools of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to remember who we are; and to do the hard work of repentance for our wrongs, repairing what is broken, and renewing our relationships with the help of the Risen Christ. Guide our steps, strengthen our resolve, grant us your mercy, and walk with us through the desert, for we know your greatest desire is for us to live into our identities as your beloved ones.

Metro Chicagoland has arrived at a defining moment in our history, and none of us are immune to its repercussions. Shootings and other deadly acts of violence are pervasive in some neighborhoods in our city and becoming more frequent in other areas where such things were nearly unheard of in years past. So, given the seriousness of the situation and how helpless it can make us feel, might we ponder practical solutions we at Old St. Pat’s can help to generate in response? What can we possibly do collectively and as individuals when the situations are in other neighborhoods? My travels in our city’s more marginalized neighborhoods reminds me of these central theological and civil rights question.

Regardless of where we live, either in the city or suburbs, and no matter how much education we have or money we earn, and irrespective of what color we are or what ethnicity we claim, we are all in this together. Urban violence is both a frustrating challenge and redemptive opportunity for us all. We must definitely see ourselves as “in this together!”

The spike in violence, and especially shootings, cannot be simply explained away as the activity of despicable lawless gangbangers. It’s not that simple. Among other complicated social factors, gun violence is largely symptomatic of joblessness and deficient educational, extracurricular and recreational opportunities for youth and young adults in neighborhoods that have been marginalized for decades. Many of those whom we may be tempted to label as gun wielding thugs are often actually people who grew up without basic opportunities to make it in America today. Many did not receive guidance from older, wiser, responsible adults who could help them navigate the American social/economic system we hold so dear and take so much for granted. Thus, if they did not get well educated and connected with the right people and opportunities to help them progress, they never even had a taste of the blessings of working-class or middle-class life. Poverty and alienation was their fate, and as a result many are still paying the painfully frustrating price today. The result is the shootings today. The shooters are frequently (and certainly not always) urban poor males who have no utilities in their homes, empty refrigerators, no access to wi-fi and other technology tools, lacking experience, attire, transportation pocket money or networks to secure sustainable jobs. In short, and not to make an excuse for wanton violence, most of the shooters are desperate to survive but lacking ways to do so in a society they feel locked out from. Hence, they pick up a gun, and without thinking things through carefully, they shoot. Tragic for sure!

Considering the Old St. Pat’s Mission, it is no longer conceivable that any of us would dismiss the issue by thinking, “Those sorts of things don’t happen where I live. Those people in the West and South Sides need to deal with the problem.” No, to the contrary, we are all in this together and what’s happening only one or two miles away from us today will be happening next door to us sooner than we think if we don’t weigh in today. It is a matter of Christian compassion and justice. Heck, it’s a matter of practicality as well!.

Jesus challenged His disciples and us in this Sunday’s familiar Gospel (Matt 5: 38-48). In it, He urges that we go that extra mile to love our neighbors.

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one as well.”

Later in the passage, Jesus continued:

“Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Many of us have found in our work in North Lawndale, and I’m sure so many of our Kinship Initiative volunteers walking alongside our North Lawndale that those who are better positioned in society can and should do a little bit more with and for those among us who are hurting – struggling – frustrated. There are neighbors who will only escape their misery as a result of our compassion, our strength and any access to opportunity we may be able to provide to them. Going the extra mile might require us to be temporarily uncomfortable or inconvenienced, but that’s our price – the price we pay to live out true discipleship. Through kinship, the haves go wherever the have-nots are to share the assets God so generously blessed us with. Are we willing to go that far? Many of the shooters are not looking for handout, they are simply looking for a chance.

Considering all of this, I anxiously look forward to the presentation by Mr. Arne Duncan, Former Secretary of Education for the Obama Administration, at Old St. Pat’s on Wednesday, February 22. He will speak on “The Urgency to Reduce Violence in Chicago.” I hope to hear his suggestions on how I personally and we as a community can help drastically reduce gun violence in our city. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us and me.

The continuation of the Sermon on the Mount (today’s gospel coming from Matthew’s 5th chapter and beyond) reminds me again of my experience from a year ago last Christmas when I went over to Home Depot on Roosevelt Road to pick up a tree. I had parked my car on Clinton Street in front of the store and as I was tying my tree down I noticed (and heard!) an altercation that was taking place between two other drivers in the driveway of Home Depot. One driver who also was tying his tree to his car had literally clogged up the entire entrance driveway by not pulling off to the side. He was pretty clueless and was jamming up the lane. Well, needless to say, on a busy Saturday afternoon just prior to Christmas, this totally irritated the guy behind him who had no choice but to wait. Both men kept shouting at each other, one frustrated because he knows he screwed up by the way he parked his car and the other guy who had zero patience. The only thing I could hear from Mr Impatient, besides him blowing the horn of his car, was an irritated man yelling in mantra form: “Just Get It Done!!!” His way of saying, hurry up!

I can’t help but think of those words as we continue breaking open Matthew’s gospel and the words of Jesus on the side of that mountain: just get it done! Remember three Sundays ago, the Sermon on the Mount began with the Beatitudes, it continued then with the image of Salt and Light, and then last week we remember the challenging words about forgiveness, temptation, and tearing off limbs! Yikes! Today, the same sermon continues with an emphasis on turning cheeks, going the extra mile, and loving your enemies. Yikes again!

What scholars say about the Sermon on the Mount is that this was Jesus’ vision for the Kingdom of God. He was sharing not only his dream, but also making some pretty concrete suggestions on how perhaps the disciples could get the job done and make the dream a reality. Some might say that just like Moses being on a mountain to receive the commandments, so too this was Jesus being the new Moses by sitting on the mountain and sharing some “tough love” commands that take all the fun out of life!

Though perhaps tough to hear and seemingly an “in your face” kind of sermon, I think this was Jesus’ deep desire and passionate frustration for a better and holier world. Though the Incarnation of Love and Mercy, Jesus was also the tough teacher who challenged his disciples and the societal norm to go further and deeper. “Just Get It Done!” Turn those cheeks; go the extra mile; let the salt renew its flavor; let the light on the hill be brighter; be true to your word; forgive especially when it’s hard to do so; blessed are the peacemakers; love your enemies; settle with your opponent. Tough stuff to accomplish but I guess that’s the challenge and the risk of being a disciple. We just have to keep chipping away at it!

I’m grateful today that Fr. Richard Fragomeni, Fr. Tom Hickey, and Fr. Paul Novak are covering all the liturgies at Old St. Patrick’s. I’m not sure where all of our “regulars” are today but as for me, I will be praying for you in the same place where Jesus delivered the Beatitudes! For the coming week, I am in the Galilee region of the Holy Land on pilgrimage with about 48 others from Old St. Patrick’s. On journey from Galilee to Jerusalem (and at the Western Wall) and into Bethlehem, we will pray for all of you and all the special intentions we carry with us to this sacred part of the world where the Abrahamic religions come together.

Likewise, I just want to share that our new Director of Operations Christine Cockman and our new Director of Ministries Keara Ette are here with us and they have begun their ministries to serve the people of Old St. Pat’s, along with our incredibly talented and outrageously dedicated staff who guide and strengthen our mission every day. You are in good hands because of these wonderful people whose faith and goodness are treasured gifts.

I’m sorry to be missing former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this week. But I hope all of you will be inspired and challenged by his words and his witness for a more peaceful Chicago. The violence and tragedies happening among our children in this city is unconscionable, seen again this past week. Just unreal. It must stop now.

Hope House is a residential facility sponsored by Lawndale Community Church, a Kinship Initiative affiliate organization. The Bible-based program is for men transitioning from incarceration and struggling with homelessness and addictions. Under the direction of Bill Cowhey, Old St. Pat’s Church members prepared and shared meals with the residents of Hope House once each month during the summer of 2016, and high quality relationships formed in the process. Members of Moody Church in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood also partnered with Hope House, thus a very special three-way kindred relationship formed.

The following heartfelt message is from a resident of the facility. Those who have had the pleasure to meet the incredible young man and hear about his life journey will certainly regard his words as a special blessing.

Vincent L. Guider

North Lawndale Kinship Initiative Director

E: VincentG@oldstpats.org

Statement of Faith

By: Isaiah Carter

I have quite a testimony on my journey as a Christian. I was only eight years old when the last words my mother said to me before she passed were “Believe in God.” These very last words stuck with me, and today I run the good race with our God, our Father in Heaven.

I have endured very difficult situations. On my journey, I came close to death but in the midst of my experiences, I found God. I have grown spiritually, mentally and emotionally to learn that it was only by His grace and mercy on my life and His hedge of protection that the bullets that hit, killed or injured other folks in my community, did not hit me. Then I knew He had something different in store for me to do.

God has blessed me with so many positive people in my life who provide support and guidance and assist me in trying to get me to give my life to Christ. My experiences of going back and forth to and from jail, trying to figure out how to stay off the streets, and how to stop sinning is what led me on my path to find God and grab hold of my faith. jail is where I was introduced to His forever so true word, the Bible. That experience led me to Hope House.

I believe that Moody Church and Old Saint Patrick’s, both friends to Hope House, are connected to us to let us know that there are good people trying to bring peace and love and helping others who are struggling to see a better life. I feel that it is part of God’s mission for me to not only be served but for me to also serve, so I want to thank your community for trying to make my life better and for making Hope House a great place to stay temporally. I also want to thank you all on behalf of the guys at Hope House who could not reach out to say it for themselves. We appreciate you all at Old St. Pat’s and Moody.

Isaiah Carter is 21 years old, currently finishing his high School diploma, on the Honor Roll, due to graduate in May, and hoping to begin college in the fall. He says, “I want to become a really respectable man.” Most would certainly say, “He already is!”

As I have been working with my co-catechists in the Partners program to prepare our students for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, I am reminded of my own experience. Our students have been working hard and trying to remain prayerful while doing so. They remind me of how stressed I was preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But despite the nerves and anxiety leading up to my first confession, it all faded in comparison to the joy and relief after receiving my first absolution. The joy and grace of Reconciliation gets forgotten at times when we are caught up with the ‘to dos’ of getting ready for it, but the beauty of this Sacrament is the result of receiving it.

In the first reading, we hear that God “understands man’s every deed.” It isn’t that God knows all our actions, but he understands them. God gets it! God knows that we are going to sin, he knows we will falter time and again to act even as we know we should. God understands it and will always forgive. Just like when we explain or confess to a hurt parent, friend, or spouse our actions, they’ll say, “I understand.” God understands.

Then, in the second reading we are reminded that the instructions we have received from God through Scripture and leaders of our faith are based in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is tapping into that wisdom. During our confession, we don’t just have to say the sins we have committed, but we can talk about the things we struggle with – prayer, service, commitment, generosity, etc. Whatever it is that we are called to do but struggle to do as God intends. There is wisdom being offered during Reconciliation, either in a conversation with the priest or in the acts of penance that are unique to our spiritual needs.

Finally, in the Gospel we hear the word “righteousness” as something for which to strive. I struggle with this word. I always think of acting with righteousness as a bad thing, like pride. However, what we are really being called to is to not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. Jesus is calling us to live what we believe, and exceed the expectations when possible. Sure, “Thou shalt not kill,” seems easy enough for most, but what about avoiding all violent actions? AT first glance it seems like Jesus is just adding to an already long list of things not to do in this scene, but he is doing the opposite. He is showing his disciples, and us today, that the list of Commandments is instructing us to ask a single question before we act: Will this harm my relationship with God and/or the well-being of myself, others, and Creation? If we ask ourselves this question before we act, how different our world would be. If we ask this question before we go to Reconciliation, how different our confessions would be.

When we confess our sins and receive absolution we experience forgiveness transcendent of any other experience on earth. But Reconciliation is about so much more. These readings are sharing small pieces about how rich this Sacrament truly is. Reconciliation is about coming to God who knows, understands, forgives, and is simply waiting for us to accept a forgiveness that has already been offered to us by Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. Reconciliation is about developing our wisdom and right judgement by seeking instruction in God’s wisdom. Reconciliation is about digging deeper, working harder, and striving to be the best version of ourselves. Reconciliation is the opportunity to humbly come to God and say, “I struggle with this,” or, “I made this mistake again,” and then add to that confession, “but I am truly sorry and desire to do better, to do my best.”

When I tell people that Reconciliation is one of my favorite Sacraments, I get odd looks and surprised reactions. I don’t see Reconciliation as something be sacred of or nervous about. I see it as one of the greatest opportunities we have as Catholic Christians. With everything that we talk about in class and remind our students of in preparing for Reconciliation, this is one thing we come back to continuously. Reconciliation is an opportunity to try again: to try again at understanding, to try again at acting with wisdom, to try again at righteousness, to try again at manifesting God’s love in the world.

Deirdre Long is a Partners Religious Education teacher with Old St. Patrick’s Church. For more information on Partners, please contact Bea Cunningham at beac@oldstpats.org.

St. Agatha Church hosted Monthly Gathering on Tuesday, January 24 for the North Lawndale Kinship Initiative. People assembled from the North Lawndale neighborhood and Old St. Pat’s Church including the entire Old St. Pat’s RCIA group. The evening was filled with refreshments, new relationship building and open, honest and sometimes tense dialog on race and faith in America today. The heartfelt approach made the gathering something that was long overdue.

Eight peace circles consisting of 10 – 16 people discussed questions about race and prejudice in our lives. The groups were diverse in age, religion, nationality, gender and neighborhood bringing stranger together in faith to find ways to express reasonings and fears about these sensitive subjects. The conversations were not easy for some, but a start has been made to address this taboo issue. The dialogue opened up deeper understanding, and those assembled became vessels of hope for answers. The gathering ended up on an overall optimistic note and it was the perfect format for such dialog to take place in these politically and racially tense times in our country.

On a personal note, I understand the power of faith in a community that is in dire straits. But, Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” That evening I saw a lot of good men and women who were ready and willing to do something. Together we ended up with greater resolve to change the evils of racism and live out our Christian faith so we may all have a productive future. Thank you Old St. Pat’s, St. Agatha and all other Kinship Initiative friends that joined us for the gathering. We did something very important together as one.

Jackie Ingram is a community activist that believes in social justice. She has worked with a Chicago West Side Mental Health Campaign and she is a parishioner of North Lawndale’s St. Agatha Catholic Church. Jackie proudly proclaims, “We are stronger together in faith and hope.”

In the last few weeks, I’ve felt especially frustrated with the state of the world and the state of our country. Each day, the light of compassion and hope seems to be getting dimmer. In the wake of current events, I’ve felt paralyzed and unable to make any kind of valuable contribution. It seems that any action I could possibly perform would be too small, too inconsequential to make a difference. I’ve felt inadequately equipped to make a dent in the face of such strife. But, this Sunday we hear a clarion call to action. All three readings remind us that we, even in our vulnerable, imperfect human state, have an inherent capacity and responsibility to bring Christ into the world.

We are called to specific action as God’s beloved. In the first reading we hear, “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless, clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn.” How wonderful to be reminded that there’s a blueprint for being light in the world! In sharing, sheltering, clothing, and welcoming others, we let God work through us. And, these works of mercy are not feats of great strength that only the saintly are called to do. Rather, Christ tells us that the capacity to influence the world for good is ingrained in us (imperfect as we are). He says, “You are the salt of the earth […]You are the light of the world.” Jesus does not preface this with the future tense. He doesn’t use the phrase “one day” or “perhaps when you’re strong enough.” Right now, you have the agency to act in such a way as to preserve and illuminate God’s love in the world. You are salt and light.

On a handful of occasions, I’ve been blessed to volunteer at Mary’s Closet, a Catholic Charities initiative. Mary’s Closet provides professional attire to clients seeking employment, and Junior Board volunteers work specifically with clients from the Refugee Resettlement Program. This service opportunity, though wonderful and life giving, is always a little awkward for me. There is usually a language barrier, and picking out clothes with someone you just met is harder than you might think. Nevertheless, this past Tuesday, I joined Junior Board members (including many OSP members!) to help.

The group of clients with us on Tuesday was all male. I know next to nothing about men’s sizing, but there I was, partnered with another volunteer, trying to find business clothing that would fit our client. I couldn’t help but think about how inept I was at this task. Much of our communication with the client was through thumbs up/down, smiles, and nods as we searched racks of donated clothing. But, in the end, when our client walked out beaming with a full business ensemble, I realized something obvious. This task was not about how inadequate I felt or how imperfectly I carried out my work. It was not about me. Works of mercy are about God and God’s love for the world. When we partake in small works such as these, we are privileged to be the medium through which God makes himself manifest in the world. We must be God’s hands, vessels for God’s love in a dark world. We are salt and light.

Lauren McCallick is the Director of Development at Old Saint Patrick’s Church.

I remember many years ago when I was a young associate on the south side, the pastor I was working with at the time became very ill, and unfortunately he had to take a leave of absence for about three months. Being only three years ordained and not feeling very confident, I was then left as the administrator of the parish until the pastor’s return. On one hand, being alone and being responsible for the parish was both exciting and exhilarating. It forced me to grow and be more attentive to the many demands of parish life. But then came Columbus Day. I was called early in the morning by the Chicago Police to inform me that our maintenance man had been struck and killed by a Metra train and they requested that I go to the scene to both identify and anoint him, which I did. It was an awful experience. (Pray for all those First Responders out there!)

Afterwards, I had the responsibility of sharing this devastating news with his brother, then his elderly mother, and finally his adult children. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do as a priest in twenty years. The next day, I was called by the school to respond to a bad situation which happened among some of our 8th grade students. Then, the Music Director called and asked me to help “put out a fire” among the choir members who were about ready to walk out on him. In two short days, it felt like the roof of the church was caving in on me and it wasn’t fun. On Wednesday of that week, I found myself alone in my room and I had just opened the book of Christian prayer and there jumping out at me were the simple words of the psalm, “It is the Lord!” It is the Lord who sets prisoners free; it is the Lord who gives sight to the blind; it is the Lord who feeds the hungry…..And for this sacred time, in the midst of chaos, I truly felt a sense of calm and God’s presence.

I thought of that this past Thursday, February 2, as we celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. In case you were wondering, the Presentation (or Candlemas Day) celebrates the 40th day since Christmas and the moment when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, according the law and prescription of their day. I love Candlemas Day, because the Gospel text from Luke shows us the picture of two marvelous characters, Simeon and Anna. We are told that this faithful twosome are advanced in years and they have waited a very long time to see the One whom God would send to the world. Jesus is called a light to the nations in this text and this light will dispel the darkness.

I think Simeon and Anna represent the best of fidelity in prayer and trust in a God who walks with us especially in our darkest moments. These iconic characters of old show us what can happen if we allow ourselves to be open to the moments when God’s light enters our space. It’s like sitting with the psalms after a string of days filled with challenge and suddenly the words of scripture literally jump out at you and enter your soul. We have to be patient. We have to wait. We have to keep ourselves open to the surprising ways God speaks to the human heart.

The other thing I love about Simeon and Anna is that they represent the elders among us. Elders are wisdom figures. They lead by example. They people of inspiration who show us an encouraging, life-giving way. Any time I come across this text about Simeon and Anna I can’t help but think fondly about my own grandparents and a few great aunts who blessed my life growing up. I continue to be inspired by their living memory and their wonderful example as people of faith. They weren’t just people of “another generation.” These are, in my opinion, member of the “greatest generation” (Thank you Tom Brokaw) whose simplicity of life and fidelity to the life of the church and their own prayer life are a treasured gift. I continually think about my grandparents and great aunts who inspired and influenced my own vocation to becoming a priest.

In our technologically advanced world and a culture that has shifted dramatically from that of the greatest generation, let’s not forget their unbelievable example of faith and prayer. Let’s give thanks for the many Simeons and Annas in our own lives who were the first to share faith with us and those who remained faithful in the Temple even in the midst of sorrow and disappointments.

Have a great Super Bowl Sunday and a wonderful week ahead. Please don’t forget about our Valentine’s Mass next Saturday February 11th at 6:00 p.m.

Thank you for supporting the 12th Annual Foundations Pancake Breakfast! Your attendance at this event helps the Old St. Pat’s teens fund our upcoming Summer Worktours and the Notre Dame Vision experience.

The seed that became Foundations was planted sixteen years ago when it was suggested that Old St. Pat’s needed a “youth group with vitality.” Old St. Pat’s now has a spirited and lively youth group that involves over 150 teens who are devoted to making a difference in our world. Teens in Foundations attend over 30 different high schools in the Chicagoland area and contribute to Old St. Pat’s in a variety of ways.

Last summer in June 2016, the first Worktour traveled to Pittsburgh, PA to work with Rebuilding Together, an organization that provides low-income homeowners with critical repairs. In July another group traveled to Birmingham, AL where they served with Habitat for Humanity. Participants helped to rehabilitate homes and learned about the history of the Civil Rights Movement and about systemic racism. In August, a final group traveled to Cincinnati, OH where they partnered with multiple community organizations and served immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, and children. This group also worked in community gardens and learned about the challenges of living in poverty.

By helping others outside of their hometowns, Foundations teens are exposed to environments and circumstances that powerfully foster their own global awareness and spiritual development. In addition to the Summer Worktours, Foundations teens volunteer their time and energy with Chicagoland non-profits throughout the year. They meet several times each month and participate in community-building events such retreats, the Chicago Marathon, and summer Park Games to name a few.

These extraordinary experiences and opportunities help teens and leaders connect with one another in friendship, grow in their faith, and come to know God through the love of others. They could not be possible without your support! Thank you from all of us at Foundations for helping to transform our lives.

This year, 2017, is a year that we open the Gospel of Matthew on most our Sundays, proclaiming the good news that love is stronger than death and that death is only a kind of birth into a new way of living that lasts forever. This good news, this gospel, is shared with us across centuries by a community of Jewish Christians that lived between the years of 80 and 110 CE. The community had come to know Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of God who blazes that trail from life to death to new life for us, and bids us follow. They came to experience the Risen Christ as the fulfillment of their hopes, and they were beginning to experience a friction with other Jews who did not believe as they did. The Gospel of Matthew gives witness to the beginning of the separation between Jews and Christians that will lead to the evil disasters of the persecution of Jews by Christians in medieval Europe and Hitler’s Holocaust.

Yet the Gospel of Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels! The community that gave birth to this gospel and the author who wrote it down are well-versed in the Torah and the writings of the Prophets. Not only does the Gospel of Matthew quote both Law and Prophets prodigiously, its literary structure itself points to the Torah. The Torah consists of five books—what we know as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In the Gospel of Matthew, the rabbi Jesus gives five major lessons or teachings, called “discourses” in scripture study. While these do not correspond one-to-one to the five books of Torah, the intent is clear. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets,” we will hear Jesus say in two weeks, on Sunday, February 12. “I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.”

Beginning today, and on the four Sundays that follow, we engage the first of these five discourses of Jesus. (See the box on the right for the list of the five discourses and when we will engage with each one.) Proclaiming, preaching, pondering and practicing these five bodies of teachings make us into adopted sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters of Jesus and each other, servants of humanity, especially the poor and vulnerable.

This first discourse we call “the Sermon on the Mount,” though it’s really a discourse on discipleship. What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? And what do disciples of Jesus do? So keep your ears attuned to the gospel today and these next four weeks. Find yourself to be the kind of person Jesus calls us to be. Challenge yourself to become the kind of person God made you to be.

Today we hear today only the prologue to the Sermon on the Mount, “the Beatitudes.” Yet this prologue is the ultimate description of a disciple of Jesus. In helping the families of a loved one who has died choose the readings for their loved one’s funeral over the years, I’ve noticed that often the families of an elder who lived a long and good life choose this gospel passage. It “fits” this marvelous 70 or 80 or 90 year old follower of Jesus who has passed from life through death to new life. Leadership teacher Stephen Covey used to lead his students in an exercise imagining their 80th birthday party, “What would you want people to say about you on this grand occasion?” he would ask. For we who are baptized—and for the ten of us who are preparing to be baptized this Easter—the Beatitudes would be the perfect summary of a disciple’s life well-lived And notice: It’s nine blessings plus one command (“Rejoice!”). The Beatitudes are the Christian addition to the Ten Commandments. Blessed indeed are we who are called to baptized living!

When We Hear Jesus’ Five Discourses

1. Teaching on Discipleship

Matthew 5-7 Today and February 2017

2. Teaching on Mission

Matthew 10 June 25-July 9, 2017

3. Teaching with Parables

Matthew 13 July 16, 23, 30, 2017

4. Teaching on Community

Matthew 18 September 10, 2017

5. Teaching on the End of Time

Matthew 23-25 November, 2017

David Philippart serves you as Liturgy Director. Catch him after Mass, email him at davidp@oldstpats.org, or call him at 312-831-9367

Welcome to Old St. Pat’s today! We are grateful and thrilled you are here with us to celebrate the Lord’s Day! The appealing smell that might be hitting your olfactory nerves is not a new brand of incense but rather it’s the rich smell of pancake batter! Today is our one-and-only annual Pancake Breakfast to help support the great work of our high school students involved in our Foundations Youth Ministry. Guided and directed by the good and gentle soul of Courtney Nichols, along with her many dedicated young adult leaders, Foundations is one of the best expressions of Catholic youth ministry going today! Though many great formational moments happen throughout the course of the given year, the highlight for many of our teens is the Summer Worktour experience. Traveling to various parts of the United States (mostly in the Midwest), the Worktours have become significant transformative moments for not only our teens, but our young adult leaders as well. Your support of the breakfast today is a great sign of encouragement for the next generation of the church.

Among some other things happening at Old St. Pat’s, I made a quick mention last week during the announcements that I wanted to bring you up-to-date with some projects and people around here.

Back in 2014, Old St. Pat’s launched a capital campaign for the purposes of accomplishing three goals; create housing for homeless high school students in North Lawndale, renovate the existing “rectory” into a community center, and build an endowment for the ongoing preservation of Old St. Patrick’s Church. I am happy to report that the project in North Lawndale should be completed by the end of May! Because of your generosity, the newly formed non-profit called “Empower to Succeed” (made up of primarily Old St. Pat’s members) was able to purchase (through the Old St. Pat’s campaign) an existing building at 19th & Avers. After all necessary zoning and permitting exercises were completed, the contractor has begun the work of reconfiguring the building for student-use. Remember that The Night Ministry, a longstanding and reputable organization in Chicago who work with our homeless sisters and brothers, will be running the program. There will be plenty of opportunities for Old St. Pat’s volunteers to help make this home successful, along with Night Ministry. It’s pretty exciting to know that we the people of Old St. Pat’s are going to start chipping away at the overwhelming problem of homelessness among our student population through this special place.

By the middle of May, the old rectory attached to the church will be completed. Since we have not yet settled on an exact name for this space, the fallback name has been “community center.” What is being created is a place for the entire community of Old St. Pat’s to use. Included in the new, energy efficient, accessible building will be a new chapel for daily mass and other small occasions, a new sacristy, a dining space for new member dinners and other such social functions, and a renewed residence for clergy. Making this last piece of the real estate on our campus safe, functional, and attractive is a great accomplishment, all because of you! Thank you so much! It’s a space we will be proud of.

We have put money aside to preserve the oldest church in Chicago, again thanks to you. When Father Wall “retired” from being the pastor of Old St. Pat’s, we were able to start an endowment fund for the church structure through some gifts that came in on behalf of Fr. Wall. Today, because of the campaign, we were able to grow that endowment significantly.

Other changes you should know about have to do with our staff personnel. Mr. Tim Liston left us and moved on to a new exciting career at Navy Pier. He served our team for the past four years and as our Business Manager for the past two. Tim was a burst of energy and helped us accomplish a lot in his short time with Old St. Pat’s. Starting in February, we have created a new model for how I’d like our team to work. Christine Cockman will be our Director of Operations, responsible for all the “business” items related to doing church at Old St. Pat’s. Christine and her husband Chris, along with their daughters Clare and Ellen, have been long time members of Old St. Pat’s and she brings a wealth of experience and a huge love for this place and our mission. Keara Ette has been with Old St. Pat’s for the past nine years, serving primarily in the role of Young Adult Ministry. She will transition to being our Director of Ministries, responsible for working with all the various ministerial expressions of Old St. Patrick’s Church. I will work closely with both of these fine people to ensure that we continue growing in our mission and our vitality as a Catholic community.

One last thing, please mark your calendars for February 11th to celebrate our annual Valentine’s Mass at 6 p.m. It’s one of the more beautiful liturgical gatherings we have each year. Also, mark your calendars for March 11th and 12th to celebrate our patron Saint Patrick. In addition, you won’t want to miss March 14th for our Siamsa na Ngael concert at Symphony Center to culminate our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

OMG, what a magical Christmas Giving Season Old St. Pat’s has had. We collected thousands of gifts, wrapped them and delivered them to our programs to brighten Christmas for many people. So on behalf of those who received this past holiday season, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am continually amazed and in awe of the generosity of this community.

I also want to thank the Giving Tree Committee who work like elves to make this magic happen every Advent! Sara Rinke, Donna Kamuda, Marty and Mike Kenahan, Ann Marie Ries, and Jeanne Plunkett – you make it meaningful, thoughtful and fun!

I have some thank you notes to share with you, the very generous community of Old St. Pat’s:

“Thanks so much for making this Christmas the best Christmas ever! Words are hard to express at this point. We were having trouble this year and wondering how we were going to tell our son. But I prayed for a blessing and received a miracle! I can’t thank you enough. You have been such a blessing. Thanks again.”

“Thank you for all the wonderful gifts for our patients here at the Children’s Hospital University of Illinois. You guys are truly amazing and make it so wonderful for our patients and families! We are so grateful to have an organization like yours support our kiddos. You guys are the best! Thanks for Santa as well. He is magical and my favorite part of the holidays. Thanks for all you do for us.”

I also want to share the wonder of Giving Tree with you in pictures – through the amazing lens of Dan Pels, an Outreach volunteer.

Again, I am very blessed to witness this outpouring of love every year. I get to see the joy on the face of the giver and the tears in the eyes of the receiver. Thank you again for a very MERRY Christmas Season and for all you do to care and share.